


Fedetlen Titkok

by queenmidalah



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), Black Panther (2018), Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Past Relationship(s), Red Room (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-03
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-05-01 13:08:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14521248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queenmidalah/pseuds/queenmidalah
Summary: Secrets are revealed when family members of the Avengers are kidnapped. The question becomes why were they kidnapped, who kidnapped them, and will these secrets tear the Avengers apart or bring them together to save their family?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is an insane idea that suddenly came to me thanks to Tumblr. Please bear with me as I deal with writer's block and other WIPs I am also working on to update and get done. The title is "Uncovered Secrets" in Hungarian. All pairings listed are either past, current, or ones that may or may not be introduced in this story. If they don't end up happening, I will remove them, while others may be added.

“Is the list prepared?” The woman’s head lifted to look at the dark eyes of her commanding officer. She nodded, straightening as she turned the pad in her hand around to hand to the older woman.

“It is prepared. Teams have been assigned to apprehend each of the targets,” she said.

“Good,” the older woman said. She arched a brow when she saw brief remorse cross over the other woman’s face. “This is necessary, Agent Shrenkov.”

“We take in orphaned children, Madame,” Shrenkov said. “Orphans to train them. We’ve never resorted to kidnapping children before that I am aware of.”

“Three of them are adults,” Madame B commented. “Times have changed and they are needed to ensure that we survive by destroying our greatest threat.”

“With everything going on, how are the Avengers a threat to our organization?” Shrenkov asked.

“They are systematically destroying Hydra,” Madame B said. “Even as random alien forces find their way to our planet. And with Natalia amongst their ranks, you can guarantee _her_ eyes will eventually turn to our direction.”

“I’ve only observed that parental and familial instincts will only kick in stronger when a child is threatened,” Shrenkov said. “How will this not drive the Avengers harder to destroy us?”

“Because in the end revealed truths will destroy trust and teamwork, more than anything that happened following the Sokovia Accords,” Madame B said cryptically. “Regardless, these people are the keys to destroy the Avengers once and for all. Deploy the teams.”

▲▼▲▼▲▼▲

“Where’s Simmons?” Phil Coulson asked Daisy Johnson as he walked into the team’s main lounge area. “I had some reports to discuss with her.”

“I’ve not seen her,” Daisy said. She glanced up at the clock. “Though… I should have. She ran out for a bit, but that was a few hours ago. She should’ve been back by--.” She was interrupted by Alphonso Mackenzie and Melinda May walking into the lounge with a note of determination.

“Coulson, you need to see this,” Melinda said. Her fingers flew over the pad in her hand before she swiped and a message appeared on a nearby flatscreen.

“Your daughter is ours,” Daisy read. “Your secrets are unraveling, what do you think your comrades, the Avengers, will think when they found out? We will be in touch in 48 hours.”

“Whose daughter are they talking about?” Mack asked. “Why would this be sent to us?”

Melinda was watching Coulson, seeing the man’s jaw tighten, his pallor ashen. “Phil,” she finally said. “You need to--.”

“I know,” Coulson said, his voice rough. Daisy and Mack glanced at him. Coulson’s nostrils flared before he spoke. “I need to inform Elizabeth.”

“Do you want me to reach out to Hill and Fury?” May asked him.

Coulson nodded sharply. “Because I’m leaving it up to them to explain to the Avengers about my death,” he said. “Inform Fitz and the others, then pack it up. We need to get to New York.” He didn’t give Mack or Daisy time to question him as he turned and left the room.

▲▼▲▼▲▼▲

“Peter?” May Parker called as she entered the apartment she shared with her nephew. “Are you home?” She set her purse down on a nearby end table, her keys going on the hook by the door.

Sorting through the mail in hand, she walked further into the apartment, her phone in hand. “Come on, Peter,” she called. “Let me know what you want for…”

As her eyes lifted, she saw the disarray of her living room, broken lamps laying nearby and one of the chairs flipped over. 

“Peter?” Her voice was more panicked when she called her nephew’s name. She ran into his room, seeing it ransacked as the living room was. She started to turn from the room when she saw red material with black crisscrosses on it. Reaching out to tug the material towards her, she gasped as it revealed a very familiar mask that she had seen on the news often; Spiderman’s mask.

“Oh God, Peter, what have you gotten into?” she wondered as she raced back into the living room. She started to shake as she tried to think when she saw a folded letter on the only table not upended in the room. She rushed over and picked it up to read what it said. Her blood went cold.

_It is time your son found out who his parents really are. Which means it is time his father discovers he even exists, or rather, it is time his father discovers he is his father. We will be in touch in 48 hours._

May’s body began to tremble and her eyes filled with tears as she read the note three more times. Everything she had built was crashing down around her. She had only ever wanted the best for Peter and had lived with her decisions, but now everything was coming back to haunt her.

With the note clutched in her hand, she ran and grabbed her keys and purse before leaving her apartment, slamming the door behind her. She needed to find Tony Stark.

▲▼▲▼▲▼▲

“Honey, I’m--,” Clint Barton stiffened as he heard a small whimper. Dropping the groceries in his arms, he raced into his living room, his heart going cold at the disarray. It was the crumpled form near the edge of the kitchen that had him running.

“Laura!” He knelt beside his wife’s too-still form, seeing blood and bruises. “Laura, baby.”

“Clint,” she moaned, her left eye so swollen, she couldn’t look at him. “The…” Her voice trailed off as she finally succumbed to the pain and passed out.

“No!” Clint pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and immediately dialed the only emergency number he could think of. “Get a chopper to my farm now! Someone attacked my home!” He didn’t wait for a response, simply ending the call and carefully brushing his fingers along his wife’s cheek. He wanted to gather her into his arms, but he knew better. He had no idea what injuries she had and didn’t want to make them worse.

He tried to assess what he could, seeing cuts and bruises. He carefully ran his hands down her arm, noting her left wrist was broken. He felt the paper clutched in her fist and frowned, carefully extracting the wrinkled paper. Opening the note, his blood began to boil.

_Your children are ours now. It would be a shame for Lila to become so much like the beloved “auntie” she adores. We will be in touch in 48 hours._

Nostrils flaring, Clint looked at his wife. It was obvious that her injuries were from putting up a fight to whoever had taken their children. Once she was seen to, he would go hunting.

▲▼▲▼▲▼▲

“How the hell was she taken?!” T’Challa demanded of Ayo and Okoye as they walked into the outreach center in Oakland. He paused as he saw the disarray.

“Whoever took her overpowered her guard,” Ayo said. “She insisted on non-Dora to be with her.”

“I’ll be speaking to her of that when we get her back,” T’Challa said as he looked around. Tables and chairs were thrown about and he saw blood on the floor. His jaw clenched and his hands fisted, praying it wasn’t his sister’s.

“The guards were injured,” Okoye said, noticing T’Challa’s tension. “But we can not say if the blood is not also from Shuri.”

T’Challa’s throat moved convulsively as he swallowed down the fear he felt. He had to focus himself in order to help her. He looked around once more and frowned as he saw a white paper pinned to one of the boards. It seemed out of place in the disarray. He walked over and pulled it down, opening it. His jaw clenched so hard, Okoye and Ayo were surprised they didn’t hear his teeth shatter.

“My king?” Okoye asked.

“We have your sister,” he read. “Like the other Avengers, you will bend to our will. We will be in touch in 48 hours.”

“Avengers?” Ayo asked. “You are King of Wakanda and Shuri was taken due to your association with a team that no longer exists?”

“Contact Rogers,” T’Challa said. “Find the other Avengers and bring them to Wakanda. We will find answers then.”

▲▼▲▼▲▼▲

Jemma Simmons moaned as she slowly started to wake. She touched the throbbing near her temple and hissed, feeling the split skin and dried blood from where she took the blow when she was ambushed. 

“You are waking,” a very young boy’s voice said. Jemma lifted her head, seeing small feet in front of her before she managed to lift her gaze enough to focus on the adorable face of a young boy that was no more than four-years-old. Jemma shifted up until she was sitting, closing her eyes a moment to stop the dizziness and ease the pain still throbbing through her head.

“Your head hurts,” the boy said. “Your booboo was still bleeding when they came in with you.” His vocabulary shocked Jemma. Unless she was wrong in assessing his age by physicality, he was speaking at the level of a six-year-old. She finally focused on him, taking in his features. He had to be no more than four with his slightly curly strawberry blonde hair and big blue eyes. Something about him seemed familiar, but she didn’t know why.

“I got hit pretty hard,” Jemma admitted. “Are you hurt? Did they hurt you when they took you?”

“They didn’t take me like you and the others,” he said. “They just moved me to this room and said my time had come.”

That made Jemma frown as her hand fell away from her head. “Your time?” she asked.

“I don’t know what they mean,” the little boy said. Jemma finally realized he wasn’t dressed normally, but that he wore a child-version of hospital scrubs. His feet were bare, but he wasn’t dirty and seemed well cared for.

“I’m Jemma,” she said. “What’s your name?”

“I don’t have one,” the boy said. “I’m simply called Patient 12.”

“Your… parents call you Patient 12?” Jemma asked.

“I don’t know my mommy and daddy,” the boy said, picking at the fabric on his leg. “I was made in a lab and carried in someone’s belly until I was born. Then the scientists took care of me.”

Jemma’s eyes widened, words escaping her. She had no idea how to respond to that. The boy seemed to notice, giving her a small smile and a shrug. The smile reminded her of images she’d seen of Steve Rogers. “It’s life for me,” he said. “They were never mean but said I was to be useful. Then Madame came and I was put in here with all of you.”

“All of…” Jemma turned away from him to look around and she gasped, seeing the others laying on the floor, two adults. Three other children were huddled together in a corner, the youngest of the three even younger than the little boy with no name.

“Do you know where we are?” Jemma asked, looking at the boy again.

He shook his head. “But I heard them say something about the end of the Avengers when they dropped her off,” he said, pointing to where Shuri was lying.

“End of the Avengers?” Jemma murmured. “Oh no…”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve, Sam, and Natasha arrive in Wakanda to find out what is going on, while May arrives and is forced to tell Tony the truth she's hidden so long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's block SERIOUSLY SUCKS. I am slowly trying to work on all my stories.
> 
> Edits from here on out will have Melinda May referred to as Melinda in the story, since having two Mays would be confusing as all get out. Since May Parker's first name is May, she gets to keep that one, and Melinda May gets to be Melinda. I might slip since I am used to writing her as simply May. Pretty sure that Daisy, Bobbie, and Jemma are the only AoS characters I use the first names of when writing. Everyone else I use their last name.

“Are we sure this isn’t a trap?” Natasha Romanoff asked Steve Rogers as Sam Wilson piloted the quinjet towards the coordinates he had given him that would take them into the capital of Wakanda, though all they could see currently were trees.

“If it wasn’t T’Challa calling for us and instead we were being summoned back to New York, I’d think it was,” Steve admitted. “But T’Challa wouldn’t betray us that way, not even if Ross was threatening him.”

“You are positive about that?” Natasha asked. She was no stranger to the Wakandan king, but there had been a time when he had wanted to kill Bucky Barnes and keep Steve from assisting him. He had even been wholeheartedly on the side of the Sokovia Accords as well.

“Quite positive,” Steve said. He arched a brow at Natasha. “Don’t trust me, Nat?”

“I trust _you_ ,” Natasha said. “Others are often a different story.”

“Well, I trust T’Challa. He wouldn’t offer us sanctuary if he int--,” Steve started.

“We may want to re-think that,” Sam said, his voice a queer tone as he landed the quinjet. Through the viewport, they could see T’Challa approaching the quinjet with Tony Stark at his side.

“Dammit,” Steve breathed out. “Be prepared to take off if needed.”

“You think we could get out of here if T’Challa has betrayed us?” Sam asked.

“We’ll find a way to get out,” Steve said before he nodded to them and headed for the back of the quinjet as the ramp lowered. Natasha hesitated but followed Steve. Sam followed, but at a slower pace in case he needed to run back to pilot the ship.

“Rogers,” Tony said as he approached, his voice stiff.

“Tony,” Steve said. He looked at T’Challa, frowning as he saw the man’s tightened jaw and the lines around his eyes. “What’s going on?”

“We have an issue,” T’Challa said. “Shuri has been kidnapped.”

“From Wakanda?” Natasha asked.

“No, she was in Los Angeles at the center when she was taken,” T’Challa said.

“Any clues as to who is behind it?” Steve asked.

“Only this,” T’Challa said, handing Steve the note that he had been given. Steve read it, Natasha looking at it beside him. 

“Other Avengers?” Natasha said. She looked up at Tony. “So that’s why you’re here?”

“Does this mean others were taken?” Steve asks, glancing at T’Challa.

“Barton’s kids were taken,” Tony said. “But so was Peter Parker and a biochemist named Jemma Simmons.”

Steve glanced at Natasha when she stiffened, before returning his attention to Tony. “Jemma Simmons, that name is familiar,” he said.

“She should,” Tony said. “She was on the team that went over your health after you were coming out of capsicle mode.”

“She’s also Phil Coulson’s daughter,” Natasha said.

“What?” Steve said, looking at her. “Why would Coulson’s daughter be kidnapped?”

“Yeah,” Tony said. “About that…” He looked at Natasha. “Did you know Coulson was alive?”

He had wanted to call the Russian out for keeping a secret once she confirmed it, but even as good of a spy as Natasha Romanoff was, she couldn’t stop the shock and surprise from crossing her features at Tony’s question.

“What?!” she asked. She closed her eyes a moment and waved her hand. “Wait. Back up. You said Barton’s kids were taken.”

“His wife was severely injured,” Okoye commented. “She is in our medical facility now. She will survive. Barton is inside as well.”

“So is Coulson and his team,” Tony said.

“And Sergeant Barnes,” T’Challa said. Steve saw Tony’s jaw tighten. If Bucky was inside, that meant T’Challa had put a mandate on Tony to not touch the former assassin.

“Parker’s aunt is on her way,” Tony said. “Though she keeps saying she needs to speak to me.”

T’Challa shifted his stance. Steve nodded and began walking as everyone headed into the Wakandan palace. “According to all of the information sent, this seemed to be a strategic hit,” T’Challa said. “All notes or transmissions sent after the kidnappings occurred said that those who have them will be in touch in 48 hours.”

“It seems an odd group to kidnap,” Natasha said. “I understand taking Barton’s kids and Shuri. But why Simmons? First of all, Coulson was thought to be dead and he was never an Avenger. And why take Parker when it seems like it’s family members of Avengers.”

“I am technically not an Avenger either,” T’Challa points out.

“No, but you worked with some of the Avengers and are the King of Wakanda,” Sam said. “That would be reason enough to target you.”

“Maybe Parker’s aunt can tell us more when it comes to whatever note she has about him when she gets here,” Tony said. “Or when these bastards contact us.”

“Not to be a dick,” Sam said. “But are you involved because of the Avenger thing?”

“Barton contacted me after he found Laura,” Tony said. “Figured I was someone who could work the fastest to get her somewhere to help.”

“I contacted him as well,” T’Challa said. “To discuss the Avenger connection. When he told me of Barton’s wife, I told him to bring them here and immediately contacted you.”

“Once we know more, we should call in more reinforcements,” Steve said. 

“Reinforcements?” Tony asked. “You know where Wanda and Vision are, don’t you?”

“I know how to get in touch with them, but I don’t know their exact location,” Steve said. “Since families were affected, has anyone thought to reach out to Scott and make sure his daughter is all right?”

“I’ll do that once we’re inside,” Sam said. “He wouldn’t know who to reach out to if she was taken.”

“But Hank does,” Natasha pointed out. “And he wouldn’t hesitate, no matter how much he doesn’t like Tony.”

“Oh, I’m the bad guy?” Tony asks, his voice snapping.

“Hank Pym is not a fan,” Natasha said. “This isn’t about good or bad. Can we just focus on figuring out what is going on?”

“Natasha is correct,” Okoye broke in. “We have more things to consider then hurt feelings. Let us head to the palace and discover what is going on.”

▲▼▲▼▲▼▲

May had barely arrived when they were contacted about those held captive. When she walked into the room where they were all waiting, she couldn’t understand the tense atmosphere and simply attributed it to the circumstances they were in. She could barely look at Tony, knowing that she hadn’t a chance to talk to him about Peter before they were standing in front of a large screen, waiting for the transmission to begin.

The screen crackled before it came to life and the images of seven people emerged- the Barton children, Peter, Jemma, Shuri, and an unidentified little boy. The screen flickered to show a video feed of all of them in a bare room that had no beds and no other facilities they could see. Peter and Shuri were still laying on the floor while Jemma held the youngest Barton in her lap, the unidentified little boy sitting beside her with bare feet and patient scrubs. The older Barton children sat nearby, the little girl clinging to her big brother. They watched as Jemma leaned over to brush the back of her hand against Peter’s forehead and they saw her frown.

“Oh God, Peter,” May choked, covering her mouth with her hands.

“They will remain unharmed for now,” a filtered voice said.

“What do you want?” Tony demanded. “Why were they taken?”

“To keep you compliant,” the voice said. “Family members are great tools for such things. Even those who aren’t aware of the truth.”

“You speak in riddles,” T’Challa said. “Why do you need us compliant? Who are you?”

“In time,” the voice said. “In the meantime, the children of the Avengers and the sister of the King of Wakanda will remain safe. For now.”

“Children of the Avengers?” Tony asked. “Coulson isn’t an Avenger and Barton’s retired. Why take Parker and who the hell is the kid in the hospital clothes?”

“It’s amazing what can be created in a lab when you have the right combination of genetically modified DNA,” the voice said cryptically. “Look closely enough and you’ll figure out who his parents are. As for Parker… I am sure you’ll discover soon enough.”

“Give me back my--,” Barton started to growl, but the transmission cut out and the video feed moved closer to the face of the little boy. He lifted his face as if he sensed the camera. Brilliant blue eyes looked back at them and they could see familiar features beneath the mop of strawberry blonde hair. Soon the screen went black.

“Dammit!” Barton cursed. He spun to glare at Tony. “Couldn’t you have kept your mouth shut?! We could have gotten more out of them!”

“You blame me?!” Tony asked.

“Clint, stop,” Natasha said.

“They were strategic,” Daisy said as she stood with Okoye beside the terminal that showed the length of time for the audio and video. “They gave enough time to show their captives, speak to use, then cut the transmission without being traced.” She looks at Barton. “They never intended on remaining on long enough for us to get more information.”

“They still didn’t answer who the kid was or why Parker was taken,” Tony said.

“I… I know why,” May whispered, her entire body trembling.

“Why?” Tony asked, walking over to her.

May took a trembling breath. She lifted her face to him. “I knew you wouldn’t remember when you came to the apartment that day to speak to Peter,” she said.

Tony frowned. “Remember… what?”

“We were strangers, barely spoke a word to one another at the party,” she said. “I remember the party seventeen years ago, but there was a lot of drink between us that night.”

“What are you talking about?” Tony asked.

“It was one night,” May said, tears slipping onto her cheeks. “But it only takes once, people have said. I vaguely remembered your name when I found out, but it didn’t matter. I wasn’t ready. My… my brother-in-law and sister couldn’t have kids, so when my sister found out, she said they would raise…”

Tony’s heart began to hammer against his breastbone. “What are you saying?” he demanded.

“When they died, I had been married, but Ben knew about Peter because he was my brother-in-law’s brother and was there for me when I let them raise him…” May stopped to catch her breath.

“May,” Tony said firmly. “What are you saying?”

“Peter isn’t my nephew,” she sobbed. “He’s my son. And yours. You are Peter’s biological father, Tony.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In doing some math, I decided that this story takes place about 6 months to a year after Spiderman: Homecoming. Peter was 15 in that movie, so I figure he was close to 16 or has just turned 16 by the time of this 'fic, hence the one night between May and Tony was 17 years ago.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some minor fallout from the previous chapter, plus some people start taking matters into their own hands. With a simple comment from Peter, Jemma realizes at least part of the truth regarding Patient 12.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writer's block SUCKSSSSSS. But I am slowly pushing through to work on my stories.

“What… what do you mean I am Peter’s biological father?” Tony asked, staring at May as if she had grown two heads.

“Just that,” May said, her voice catching. “Peter is our son.”

“So he was taken because whoever these people know that,” Bucky commented. “Not because he has done things with the Avengers.”

“You keep your mouth shut, Manchurian Candidate!” Tony snarled at Bucky.

“Tony!” Steve said harshly.

“No!” Tony said, whirling to glare at the blonde. “He killed my parents, he doesn’t get to say a _word_ to me.”

“He only said what was true,” Steve said.

“I don’t care if he’s sprouting glitter from his mouth, he doesn’t speak to me,” Tony said.

“Grow up,” Bucky finally said. “First of all, I wasn’t speaking to you when I said that, I was speaking in general. Second, I can’t change what I did under Hydra’s commands, so holding my past against me when I had no memory at that time of _anything_ is a dick move.”

“Holding your… **YOU KILLED MY PARENTS!** ” Tony roared, leaping at the man.

Two of the Dora Millaje caught Tony before he had the chance to reach Bucky. “Enough,” one of them said. “The White Wolf is right and you need to calm down. We have more important things to deal with.”

“What is going on?” Nakia asked as she came into the room. She noticed the Dora Millaje holding Tony back and shook her head before she hurried over to T’Challa. “Any word on Shuri?”

T’Challa hugged her close and sighed. “Only that she is alive,” he said, his voice tight. “She was kidnapped due to my association with the Avengers.”

“That makes no sense,” Nakia said, pulling back.

“No, but it is the reason,” he said. “And she wasn’t the only one. Barton’s children were taken, as was Peter Parker, a woman named Jemma Simmons, plus they have an unidentified child with them.”

“Were you able to trace where they are at all?” Nakia asked.

“No, they didn’t remain on with us long enough to get any sort of track,” Daisy said from where she stood. 

Bucky looked around the room as everyone began to talk about what happened, while Tony’s focus shifted back to May. He took a few steps back before turning and leaving the room. Okoye was not oblivious to his moves. Her brow furrowed and she shifted to follow him out. She gave a small shift of her fingers when she saw Ayo and Aneka start to move, indicating they remain for the moment. She shifted and quietly followed Bucky out.

“You can not tackle this alone,” Okoye said once in the hallway. She watched the dark-haired man’s steps pause before he turned.

“They are no good to find those they love,” he said. “Steve and Natasha don’t even know where to begin or how this affects them. Barton will only get himself killed to save his children, which does them no good and could get them killed. None of them would be able to get in and get out without getting themselves or their loved ones killed.”

“I don’t disagree,” Okoye said. “But you still can not tackle this alone.”

“Tackle what?” a deep voice questioned. Bucky turned to see M’Baku walking towards them down the hall, the big man tilting his head at them.

“Finding the Princess Shuri and the others taken,” Okoye explained.

M’Baku stiffened. “Princess Shuri is missing?” he asked. 

Bucky arched his eyebrow at the man. “You didn’t know?” he asked.

“T’Challa sent me a message through the kimoyo beads requesting my presence. I had no idea it was for this reason,” M’Baku said. He looked at Bucky, frowning. “Where you intending on going off alone?”

Bucky started to protest when Okoye spoke up. “Yes, which is highly inadvisable,” she said.

Bucky sighed, his head falling back to look at the ceiling. “My presence here is causing further tension, which they don’t need,” he said. “Especially with Stark. I’d be better suited to being out there and looking for them.”

“I don’t disagree,” Okoye said. Bucky straightened his head and arched a brow at her. She lifted a hand to stop any comments. “You are right when you said that they are no good in finding them, but you can not do this by yourself. Going in alone is suicide, especially when you have at least four children involved.”

“The general is right,” M’Baku said. “Which is why I will go with you.” Bucky and Okoye both looked at him, surprised. He shrugged. “I’m always up for a good fight, you both know that, but they took children. It would not matter if one of those children is Princess Shuri or not. Taking children is a cowardice thing to do and need not be tolerated. I will go with you.”

“You aren’t known for stealth, M’Baku,” Okoye said.

“No, but he is,” M’Baku said, pointing to Bucky with his thumb. “And it is not like you can go with us. T’Challa will surely notice your absence.”

“Which is why we are going,” Ayo said as she and Aneka joined them.

“You were supposed to wait inside,” Okoye chided.

“Perhaps, but as soon as we saw the White Wolf leave the room, we knew what he intended,” Aneka said. “We would not allow him to go alone.”

“Am I getting that predictable?” Bucky asked, mildly amused.

“Only because we know of your friendship with Steve Rogers and saw the animosity that Tony Stark had to you,” Ayo said. “We know you well enough that you would not remain and would try to find a way to help.”

“Fair enough,” Bucky said. “But if we do this, we need to do it now and go before anyone else catches wind and tries to follow us.”

“Agreed,” Okoye said. She shifted and extended her hand, putting a set of kimoyo beads into Bucky’s flesh palm. “I will keep in touch and send any information that is discovered while we do work here. I will also do what I can to keep them from discovering that the four of you have left. If they have to realize it, let it be once you are gone and already enroute.”

“Hopefully you can stall them long enough for us to find the captives and rescue them before they attempt some grand plan,” Bucky said.

“Ideally, but do not hold your breath,” Okoye said.

“I rarely do,” Bucky said. He put the beads around his right wrist before looking at M’Baku, Ayo, and Aneka. “All right, let’s get what we need and get the hell out of dodge before they realize what’s going on.”

“May Bast speed you on your way,” Okoye said before turning on her heel and walking back to the conference room.

▲▼▲▼▲▼▲

Peter jerked awake, groaning as his head throbbed with the motion. He slowly pushed himself to a seated position, looking around. He stopped when he found himself looking into a pair of dark brown eyes.

“Good, you are awake,” Shuri said, her accent washing over Peter. She watched him frown as his eyes shifted to the gash on her forehead. “It is minor.”

“But--,” he started before his eyes shifted and he saw the four children and Jemma. “What the…”

“Seems we were targeted because we are associated with the Avengers in some way,” Jemma explained. “I’m Jemma Simmons.”

“Peter Parker,” he said, getting to his feet. “I helped them a couple times but how…”

Jemma nodded to the Barton children. “Cooper, Lila, and Nathaniel are Clint Barton’s children,” she explained. She glanced over to the little boy in hospital scrubs. “I’m not sure yet how that little one fits in.”

“I’m Shuri,” Shuri said. “King T’Challa of Wakanda is my brother. He met Captain Rogers and the other Avengers--.”

“In Hungary,” Peter said. “I remember him… the Black Panther, right?” Shuri nodded.

“So someone who has worked with the Avengers, an unknown kid, the sister of someone that worked with the Avengers, and the children of an Avenger,” Peter said. He looked at Jemma. “How are you connected?”

Jemma smiled a bit sadly. “My father,” she said. “He helped gather the Avengers when they first formed. And they fought the Battle of New York in his name because they believed him dead.”

“Whoa,” Peter said. “But he’s… not?”

Jemma let out a breath, crossing her arms over her chest. “It’s… a complicated story, but he’s not now, no,” she said. “But they still believed he was, but I suspect that they know he’s alive now.”

“That’s… wow,” Peter said. “Crazy.”

“That’s crazy? Kidnapping us isn’t?” Shuri asked, amused.

“Well of course it is but…” he trailed off when he saw Shuri and Jemma both exchange amused looks. “So how do we get out of here? What do they want with us?”

“Patient 12 said something about the end of the Avengers,” Jemma said.

“Patient 12?” Peter asked, frowning.

Jemma waved a hand towards the little boy who sat apart from the other kids, quietly staring at a wall. He looked over when he sensed the adults looking at him. He gave Peter and Shuri a small wave, grinning a bit as Jemma waved her fingers back. “All the name he has,” Jemma explained.

“I didn’t know Captain America had a child,” Peter said. Jemma snapped her head to look at him. His eyes widened. “What? You can’t see how much he looks like him?”

“As far as I know, Captain Rogers has no children,” Jemma said.

“Huh,” Peter said. “I’d swear that he’s his kid.” Jemma frowned, her eyes getting a distant look.

_I don’t know my mommy and daddy. I was made in a lab and carried in someone’s belly until I was born. Then the scientists took care of me._

“Oh,” Jemma breathed out. “Oh God…”


End file.
